Putin arrives at SCO summit in Samarkand

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Samarkand to take part in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit on Friday.

The event in the ancient sultanate of Samarkand is part of Chinese President Xi Jinping's first foreign trip since the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic two and half years ago, underscoring Beijing's desire to assert itself as a regional power.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization includes India, Pakistan and four ex-Soviet nations in Central Asia.